Improvement in teavelling bags



N. PETRS. FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

@uitrit fates lchent `flirt.-

IMPROVEMBNT 1N TRAVELLING BAGS.

y 'sPEcIFCATrONn TO ALL VHOM IT MAY"CONCEltN':`

Be it known that I, E. G. ROUhsTONE, `of Roxbury, in the county of l\l`orfolk,iand` State of Massachui i i setts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Travelling Bags 5 and I dohereby'declare that fthe lfollowing, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part` of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it.

In the manufacture of travelling bags or portmanteaus, Aa great demand'exists for an article that can lbe` furnished at a very cheap price. Now, in the ordinary methods of construction so much nice work and manipulation is involved in forming and connecting the parts, that with the ordinary pricesl for good workmanship thc bags cannot be made at such cost as will enable them to be sold excepting at sceminglyvery high prices. To reduce thiscost of construction, and at the same time to form a` bag of neat appearance, and in which all the connections are as strong and durable as is the material of the body of the bag, is the object of myinvention. p

In the production of these articles cheaply? the principal cost is in the construction of the metal frames which form the closing-jaws, .andin the method of connecting these framestothe bag leather` or body, and my` invention has particular reference to this matter, and also to the locking mechanism which connects theframe to i the formation of the body itself, and to the construction of the ears or bearingpieces fastened to the frame,`

and supporting the hinge-rod upon which the two parts of the bag open and shut.

The drawing represents at A a cross-section of a bag embodying my improvements; Bis a view of the inner side of the frame, where the lock is applied to the same, showing the arrangement of the boltl; C isa perspective of one corner of the bodyof` the bag; D an inside view of one corner. of the frame; E a sectional` ,i

view of one of the bearings rof the hinge-rod; F G H are' detail views of modilcations `of the frame construction.

`For more readily understanding the construction, Ihave represented the bag as dive-sted from a lining,`o1i` rather as formed without a lining, the common application of which is only changedso far as may be obviously necessary by the peculiarities of my formation.

a a denote the two parts of the bag body; c and d the frames to which the same are applied, these frames being hung upon a wire hinge-rod, e, in' the usnal'manner; this rod extending out from"the frame and being y supported at each end in a bearing piece f, as seen at E. In the usual manner of applying this rod to` thebearings, the rod extends entirely through the same, and'has its ends upsetor rivetted over, to keep the rodin place. This construction is imperfect, however, in that these ends, extended through the bearings, form sharp y points, against which surfaces catch, and are Vby wear and abrasion constantly becoming loose, undwork` out from the bearings. lTo remedy this diiculty, I form a screw-thread on Veach end of the `rod, as seenl at E, and form in the bearing a counter screw-thread, butV do not extend this latter thread through the bearing. New, `by screwing the bearing upon the end of the rod, it will be obvious that when the bearing is fastened to the frame by the rivet thc'rod is not only secured from'displacement, but that there are no projeetngvpoints extending from the same. -Each frame piece, c d, is made up of an. inner plate k, and anV outer one z', each bent longitudinally to the form of the top and ends of the bag. '.lhe innerpiece' h has a flange or lip, k,l`tuirned `n `from it,

this lip being flat, as seen at A F G, or in the form of abead, as seen at H. The` opposite edge `of the lip `is turned partially round, as seen at l, and the adjacent edge of the platcor piece has a counter turn, as seen` at mi. Between the adjacent surfaces of the plates LjZ the edge of Vthc leather or bag body is inserted, a fold or turn made at the edge of the leather being enclosed in the groove made by the two bent edges of the pieces h z', as seen lat A. Nowafter forming the body a ,.its edges are simplyplaced between theplates, (with the turned edge ingthe groove form-ed by both,) and the two plates' and body. are then. secured together by a row of rivets n, p

this arrangement enabling meto place the leather in position without drawing the edge through a gr'oove `made up of one piece, and without any stitching, while the bent edges ofthe plate at the same `time give strength and stillness to the frame. The specific construction shown at A may be varied somewhat, as seen at FGIH, but in each thcre'is this Apeculiarity of construction, that the connection of the leather tothe frame is protected bya lip or bead turned from one or both plates, and not turned wholly around the edge, but only partially 'around or relatively to the same.

ln applying the lock to the frame, I extend the bolt :u through a slotp in theI frame, as seen at B, the bolt working to and fro in (not to and from) this slot, by which means all strain upon the frames, when locked together, to force them apart, is received against 'the frame, and makes it impossible, or almost impossible, to force or break thelock.

, To form each corner of the frame piece z', (and whethervthis piece constitutes an inner or outer or sole frame piece,) I out the plate, and renforce the `joint as follows: I first bend the plate to form the flange or lip Ic, when the piece is straight, and then et the point where the corner is to be formed I cutout a piece of such form as to make a mitre butt joint q, when the piece is bentlongitudinally to the required right-angular shape. Previously or subsequently to these bending and cutting operations I out two slits r through the plate at the transverse ongle, and so as to extend on each side of the mitre joint, as seen in the drawing, D. Then 'having out a Hat piece of metal to entend under and both sides of this joint, as seen at s, I turn up from the saine :L lip t, which I bend to tit the inner bent surface of the corner plate;a'nd extend this lip through the slit r, so as to lay against the inner surface of the corner plate, while the part covering the joint is applied to the opposite ,surface of the Bange, and is rivetted to the flange, as seen at D, thus forming a, stay, and protecting and strengthening the corner. g

In all bags of this nature heretofore made the body a is milde .up of several pieces of' leather, or (other material used for its construction,) involving a multiplioityot seams. To reduce the number of these Incut the material to such form that both parte, aa, are made from one piece, portions being out out where the corners are to be formed, the sides left by such cut being brought together and joinedby stitches, as seen at C, sind the control partbeing drawn around the hinge wire', and stitched over the top of ,the same, as seen at A.

Iielaiin the combination and arrangement of the inner and outer plates hz', making up one-half of` the frame, when so constructed and applied to the body a, insertedibetween them, that from one or both of them a lip is turned down, which shall protect or cover the o dge of the body, without either lip passing around or `enclosing the edge, the plates and body being secured together substantially as shown and'described.

I also claim the corner stay piece, when constructed and applied substantially as described.

Also the Aconstruction of the bearings f, with a screw-thread extending only partly through the bearingl so as to secure and protect the hinge-rod, substantially as described. 5

Also so applying the lock to the frame that its bolt works in a slot in the freine, substantially as shown and described,

Also in a bag, made up of two parts a a, applied to frame c al, forming the bag body from one piece, su'bstantially as set forth.

E. A.'G."ROULSTONE.

Witnesses:

F. GoULD, S. B. KIDDER. 

